A long musical journey
Mike Sciacca
Kerry Chester could not have envisioned where music would take him
when he first sat down at a Hammond organ some 43 years ago.
Music has taken Chester on an incredible journey, he says, one
that has its roots in Orange County and recently, found its way to
Brazil.
The 49-year-old Huntington Beach resident is probably a far cry
from where his mother had intended him to be.
“I think she was hoping I would become a church organist,” he
chuckled.
Although gospel music played a big part in his early success,
Chester has found his niche in other styles, namely blues and rock
‘n’ roll. Music, he says, to his ears.
“It’s been a great ride all these years. Music -- and there has
been plenty of it -- certainly makes up my life,” he said.
Chester writes, produces and performs music for a living. He plays
keyboard, guitar and sings. He has cut numerous recordings and CDs,
played for one famous group and is a member of other successful
bands.
For the past 22 years he has been part of the Surftones, a
four-member group that plays locally and one he affectionately says
is “the band you can’t get rid of.”
There’s also a little blues band that bears his name, The Kerry
Chester Trio, which includes a female singer.
The Kerry Chester Trio plays every Sunday evening at the Newport
Pier Grill and Sushi restaurant at the end of the Newport Pier.
If you go back to the late 1980s and early 90s, you would find
Chester playing organ and touring with Dick Dale and the Deltones,
the infamous 1960s band that made surf music a force.
“The experience I get from each of these styles, and the people I
have met, have made music an incredible experience for me,” he said.
Chester, who does work in his home demo studio and in a full
fledged studio in Fullerton, says his musical influences came from
the likes of John Lennon, Jim Morrison and one of his favorite
singers, Jack Bruce, who played bass with the band, Cream, which also
featured Eric Clapton.
He has had his own blues and surf style record label, Ranell
Records, for the past three years. The label is signing some major
blues acts, he says. K.K. Martin, who plays blues guitar, is the
label’s president and featured artist.
“It’s an artist-based and run record label, which is somewhat rare
for the industry,” Chester said. “It’s been a lot of work getting our
distributors together but we’re putting our label on the map.”
Chester is recording his own CD sometime in September. The blues
and rock album will be based on the styles along the lines of the
Allman Brothers, he said, adding that the trio will go out on a
regional tour next year to get the CD noticed.
Chester, who considers himself blessed when it comes to his long
career, has found a way to help others realize their dreams.
He and drummer Scott Cate co-host a singer/songwriter showcase
every Monday night, from 8 p.m. to midnight, at the Studio Cafe on
the Balboa Peninsula.
It was during one of those open mike nights where he discovered
Tanya Lundy, who now is interning with The Kerry Chester Trio as its
lead vocalist.
The showcase was where Chester also met Ernie Shaeffer of the
international group, Neto. The 13-member band is comprised of members
from Brazil, France, Argentina and the U.S.
A native of Brazil, Shaeffer invited Chester to come to his
homeland in July to play blues piano on a CD the group was about to
cut.
“I told him no way, that I was too busy here at home. It was the
middle of summer and I had too much on my plate. But, he kept
badgering me, saying he really wanted my playing style on the CD,” he
said.
Chester finally obliged Shaeffer and endured a 36-hour flight to
get to Brazil. He spent eight days in the region of Santa Maria, his
blues piano adding a unique touch to the Latin rhythms that dominate
the CD’s 12 tracks, which are sung in both English and Portuguese.
Chester co-produced part of the CD, unnamed as of yet, co-wrote
some of the lyrics and helped with the arrangements.
The entire process of making the album was video taped and will be
shown in a documentary on Brazilian television.
“In general, Brazilians had never heard blues before,” he said.
“The twist the blues piano gives to the Latin flavor is really an
incredible blend.”
“The people I met in Brazil were very warm and friendly and we
became good friends when the CD was finished. We seemed to overcome
our language barriers.”
* MIKE SCIACCA covers sports and features. He can be reached at
(714) 965-7171 or by e-mail at michael.sciacca@latimes.com.
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